Vickrum Digwa, the man jailed for murdering university student Henry Nowak, will have his bid to reduce his sentence heard at the Court of Appeal on Thursday, alongside the Attorney General's attempt to have it increased.
Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years in June for stabbing 18-year-old Mr Nowak in Southampton on December 3 last year. The attack involved a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade.
The killing sparked public unrest after police body-worn video was released showing officers handcuffing Mr Nowak, from Chafford Hundred, Essex, as he lay dying. Digwa had falsely told officers that the teenager had racially abused him.
Appeal and referral
Digwa is appealing against the length of his sentence as "manifestly excessive". At the same time, Attorney General Ellie Reeves has referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal as "unduly lenient". Three senior judges are set to hear both bids to change the sentence.
Speaking to ITV before the hearing, Mr Nowak's stepmother, Katie Nowak, said Digwa being allowed to challenge his sentence "doesn't feel fair to us at all".
She said: "It's another process that we've got to go through. It's another fight that we have to have.
"It was a very clear verdict. It's not right that he's allowed to do this."
Hearing details and reviews
The hearing before Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, Mr Justice Nicklin and Mr Justice Wall is due to begin at 10am at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced last month that an independent review led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk would examine Mr Nowak's murder, including "any missed opportunities to intervene".
Several investigations have been launched into Hampshire Police's handling of the killing since Digwa was sentenced. In August, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services opened an investigation into the force after a request by police and crime commissioner Donna Jones. The commissioner said the inspection would cover the "end-to-end process" from call-handling in the control room, dispatch and initial attendance at incidents of serious violence.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct launched an investigation in July into two officers for potential gross misconduct over their interactions with Mr Nowak on the night he was stabbed. The watchdog is also examining whether race or religion contributed to the officers' decision-making.
Digwa is separately seeking to overturn his conviction, but a decision has yet to be made on whether to allow that challenge to go ahead.
